Kogi Government has inaugurated a five-man committee to monitor the supply and sale of essential drugs in government hospitals under its drugs revolving scheme.

Inaugurating members of the committee on Friday in Lokoja, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Idris Omede, said the measure had become necessary to ensure accountability and sustainability of the scheme.

Omede said that the committee was also to complement the Health Ministry in the management of the scheme.

He said that the monitoring committee would work without prejudice with the existing Drug and Consumable Distribution Committee of the state Central Medical Store.

He said that the monitoring committee was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that proceeds from drug sales were remitted to designated financial institutions. The commissioner urged the distribution committee to hold on to its schedule in servicing the health facilities and called for cooperation of departments in the ministry with the monitoring committee.

"The maximum cooperation of the management of various health facilities in this assignment is desirable as the committee is to supplement the primary responsibilities of the management of health facilities, " he said.

Omede said that the concept of the Essential Drugs Revolving Scheme was to ensure that basic drugs were available and accessible all-year-round in government hospitals for rightful prescriptions.

Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, its chairman, Mr Joseph Achem, assured that the committee would be diligent and committed to ethical standards